A Twist of Fate
by Smart Aleckette
Summary: If Tigerstar had killed Bluestar, he would have become ThunderClan leader. If Tigerstar had become leader, he would have exiled Fireheart. If Fireheart had been exiled, would he have saved the Clans, or destroyed them instead? AU fic. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

**SUMMARY**

** Tigerstar's plot has worked, and now that Bluestar is dead, he has taken her place as Clan leader. Haunted by Bluestar's dying declaration that fire will save the Clan, Tigerstar exiles the two cats who pose a threat to his leadership, Fireheart and Graystripe, and labels them as traitors.**

**On the run for their lives, Fireheart and Graystripe flee the forest, believing there is no future for them amongst the Clans as "treacherous" exiles. But when Fireheart is told of the prophecy in a dream, he realizes that he is not meant to flee, but to overthrow Tigerstar and save the Clans from destruction. The problem is, ThunderClan has been ordered to kill him on sight, and the other Clans won't risk making an enemy of Tigerstar by taking Fireheart or Graystripe into their camps. If Fireheart is going to save the Clans, he's going to need assistance from outside of the Clans, and there is one cat in particular who's willing to help. . . at a price, of course.**

**-X-X-X-**

**Happy Easter, everyone! And if you're not Christian... Happy Easter anyway.**

**It's been a while since I've written Warriors fanfiction. I think the last time I tried (with this same idea, actually), it was 2009. Then I left, but now I'm back. This should be... interesting, to say the least.**

**Yes, this is one of those what-if, alternate universe fics. Specifically, it deals with the question of what would happen if, back in Forest of Secrets, Tigerclaw had killed Bluestar. I would have really liked to see this idea in canon (think of the possibilities!) but that's what fanfiction is for, I guess.**

**Like I said earlier, I tried to write this story before, but I got bored with it and deleted it. Still, this idea has been bothering me so I decided to try again. Second time's the charm. :) That being said, I haven't touched any of the books in over a year. My knowledge of the canon isn't what it used to be, and though I've got a copy of Forest of Secrets as reference, I'm probably going to make mistakes. If you see such mistakes, please point them out instead of just calling me a moron. Pointing out what I did wrong and **_**then **_**calling me a moron, however, is perfectly acceptable. :)**

**Anyway, sucky first chapter is sucky. This is more stage-setting than anything else. Next chapter is when the real fun begins.**

**Warning: This fic is rated T for violence, chapters longer than 1k, and (heaven forbid!) an original plot.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 1<strong>

ThunderClan camp was in chaos.

Tigerclaw paused in the middle of the clearing, revelling in what he had accomplished. All of his planning and hard work was finally coming to fruition. As he stood there, everything he had done over the past moons flashed through his mind. He had killed Redtail, the old ThunderClan deputy, and although he hadn't been Redtail's initial replacement, he had been appointed to the post not long after. Then he had recruited the band of ShadowClan rogues and other loners to his side. Today, he had used his power as deputy to drain the camp of ThunderClan warriors, leaving it virtually defenceless. Then he had rallied the rogues and led them to attack the camp.

Now he was going to kill Bluestar and take her place as leader.

Tigerclaw waited another heartbeat, just to make sure that the other ThunderClan cats were too busy to see what their deputy was up to. Reassured, he raced to Bluestar's den. As he pushed his way through the lichen curtain, he almost ran into Bluestar as she tried to leave her den.

"Tigerclaw, what's happening?" Bluestar asked. "Are we being attacked?"

"Yes, Bluestar," Tigerclaw panted. "It's the ShadowClan exiles. Didn't I tell you they could become a problem?"

Panic flickered in Bluestar's eyes, but then she shook her head. "We can worry about that later, Tigerclaw," she said, moving to brush past him. "The Clan needs us now."

Tigerclaw blocked her path. Bluestar drew back, surprised, and her eyes narrowed. "Tigerclaw, what is this?" she asked sharply. "I'm you're leader, or have you forgotten that?"

"Not for much longer," Tigerclaw hissed. Bluestar took a step back, and he advanced, blood singing through his ears, anticipation flooding him. "I'm going to kill you, and kill you again. As many times as it takes for you to join StarClan forever. It's time for _me_ to lead this Clan!"

And with that, Tigerclaw pounced.

**-X-X-X-**

Across the clearing, Fireheart was battling a tabby he didn't recognize, probably a loner who had joined the exiles. The tabby had his teeth in Fireheart's shoulder and wouldn't let go. Desperately, Fireheart rolled over onto his side, crushing the loner beneath him. The loner let out a yowl and released Fireheart's shoulder. Fireheart lashed out at him with unsheathed claws, just to be on the safe side, then climbed off of him, turning his head to see what was going on.

The camp seemed to be full of attackers, and there seemed to be very few ThunderClan cats. Fireheart felt a stab of hopelessness mixed with anger. He remembered seeing Tigerclaw leading the band of rogues to the camp, and thought, _Tigerclaw did this, and he's going to pay for it._

Still, the one cat that Fireheart couldn't seem to find was the treacherous Tigerclaw. His stomach clenched, and instinctively he headed for Bluestar's den. He took no more than three steps when a tom came flying at him, bowling over Fireheart and pinning him to the ground. Fireheart tried with all his strength to throw the tom off of him, but his attacker was heavy as a boulder and about as easy to move.

"Say hello to StarClan for me," hissed the tom, and just as he was about to lunge for Fireheart's throat, a gray blur tackled him. Fireheart got to his paws and looked round. His friend Graystripe was writhing on the ground with the tom, yowling furiously as he scratched tufts of fur from the rogue's pelt. Fireheart, without even pausing to gather himself, joined the fight, getting a hold of the tom's throat and raking his flank with his back claws. When the tom had enough, he let out a yelp, and simultaneously, Fireheart and Graystripe released him.

"Thanks, Graystripe," Fireheart panted as the tom raced away.

Graystripe nodded. He was bleeding from bite marks in his left ear, and it was only when he saw his friend bleeding that Fireheart realized that he himself was scratched, his wounds burning like fire. "No problem," Graystripe said. Without another word, he raced off, back to help defend the nursery.

Fireheart turned and dodged several pairs of fighters as he made his way toward Bluestar's den. A loud yowl from the camp entrance made him stop in his tracks, and he turned just in time to see Whitestorm leading a patrol through the gorse tunnel. Fireheart breathed a sigh of relief, but he knew they weren't in the clear yet. He _had_ to find Tigerclaw. Otherwise, the results could, and would, be disastrous.

**-X-X-X-**

Tigerclaw had caught Bluestar unawares, and he had pinned her to the ground. Although she was raking her claws over his shoulder, Tigerclaw hardly noticed the blows. His heart was pounding in his chest, and every muscle and nerve in his body was taut, ready to spring in an instant. He gathered himself and looked down at Bluestar, wanting to relish this moment of her defeat and his victory. She looked panic-stricken, and Tigerclaw's lip curled in a snarl. He bent down close, and she flinched, expecting him to rip her throat out. He did no such thing.

Yet.

"You were a pathetic leader," he hissed in her ear. "You've accepted kittypets and traitors into your Clan, and disgraced it. I'm going to restore ThunderClan to what it used to be, Bluestar, the strongest, most respected, most feared Clan in the forest. Make no mistake."

Bluestar looked afraid, and she had stopped struggling, knowing it was futile. Still, she managed to glare up at him, her blue eyes smouldering with hatred. Tigerclaw had no idea what she was thinking as she confronted her death.

"Any last words?" Tigerclaw prompted.

Bluestar paused. Then, defiantly, she spat at him, "Fire will save the Clan."

With a scream of rage, Tigerclaw lunged and ripped out Bluestar's throat. As blood sprayed the air, he could feel her body convulsing beneath his paws, and stepped back, watching as the life ebbed out of Bluestar. Bluestar gasped, and blood flowed from her throat, collecting in a pool around her body. Injured as she was, it didn't take very long for her convulsions to fade, then disappear altogether, and at last, she lay still and silent on the floor of her den.

Tigerclaw sat down, curled his tail over his paws, and watched her body patiently. Soon, he knew, she would regain one of her remaining nine lives and come to, and then he would simply kill her again and again, until she ran out of lives. If he had known that she just had, Tigerclaw would have left the den immediately. As it was, he remained in his place, waiting for a life that would never come.

**-X-X-X-**

Fireheart flung himself through the lichen curtain that covered the entrance to Bluestar's den and called, "Bluestar! Bluestar! Are you here?"

There was no reply, but the den hung heavy with the smell of blood, and Fireheart could see two other cats inside. Bluestar was lying motionless on the ground in a puddle of blood, and beside her sat Tigerclaw. As Fireheart stopped dead, Tigerclaw looked up, his eyes glinting amber in the darkness. Fireheart gulped.

"What... What happened to Bluestar?" Fireheart asked, although he felt he had a pretty good idea already.

Tigerclaw nosed Bluestar's fur, as if checking for a sign of life from his leader. "I came in to inform her of the attack," he replied, straightening up and fixing Fireheart with a strange look. "I found her like this. One of the rogues must have attacked her and slipped away."

Fireheart knew that wasn't the case. He had seen Tigerclaw leading the group of rogues into the camp, had seen him pretend to fight the attackers, and now he could see the blood on Tigerclaw's muzzle, paws, and whiskers, and there was no scent of strange cats inside the den.

"You're lying," Fireheart hissed, forcing courage into his voice that he didn't feel. "I saw you bring those rogues into our camp, Tigerclaw."

Tigerclaw looked startled, but he quickly recovered and gazed at Fireheart in silence.

Fireheart's tail flicked nervously from side to side. "I know you killed Redtail," he said, watching Tigerclaw give a little start, "and I know that you killed Bluestar so you would become leader. You know what though? I won't let you!"

"You won't, will you?" Tigerclaw asked, his eyes narrowing. "You, a kittypet, will stop _me_ from becoming leader? You're so naive, Fireheart." He got to his paws, and Fireheart watched him apprehensively as the warrior approached him. "Bluestar was weak. She made a laughingstock of ThunderClan. I intend to reverse the damage she wrought."

"Bluestar was a greater leader than you will ever be!" Fireheart declared defiantly.

Tigerclaw opened his mouth to reply, but something stopped him, and he stared at a point over Fireheart's shoulder. At first, Fireheart was unsure of what it was. Then he heard paw steps behind him, and before he could turn, he heard a yowl and felt a cat throw him into the wall of the den. His head cracked against the stone, and he slumped to the ground, his eyes closed.

"Excellent timing, Blackfoot," said Tigerclaw approvingly.

The newcomer, a tom with black paws and a nasty scratch on his flank, nodded and gazed greedily at the unconscious Fireheart. Tigerclaw followed his gaze and saw the faint rising and falling of Fireheart's flank as he breathed. "Should I kill him, Tigerclaw?" he asked.

Tigerclaw hesitated, still shaken by Bluestar's final words. _Fire will save the Clan..._ It sounded like a prophecy. Was it? If it was, that meant that Fireheart was the fire that would save the Clan, and that also meant that Fireheart was a threat. Even if it wasn't the case, Fireheart had somehow found out about Redtail and knew Tigerclaw had killed Bluestar. Either way, it would be best to kill him now.

Still, Tigerclaw hesitated. There was more than one way to kill Fireheart. He closed his eyes in order to hink. _Wouldn't it be best, _he thought, _if I disgraced and humiliated him, and _then_ kill him? _He could see that this method of revenge would be the more satisfying and fitting of the two options.

"No, don't kill him just yet, Blackfoot," Tigerclaw said, opening his eyes and casting a contemptuous look at Fireheart's limp body. "There's been enough killing today."

Blackfoot's eyes flickered to Bluestar's corpse. "How many lives did she have left?" he asked.

"Just the one," Tigerclaw replied with a shrug. "I had thought she had two or three, but all the better. Thank you, Blackfoot. Wait a little bit yet, and then call off the attack, would you?"

"Of course, Tigerclaw," Blackfoot answered. He turned to go, hesitated, and then turned back. "And, uh, Tigerclaw, about our reward–"

"I will not forget those who helped make this possible," Tigerclaw assured him, rather impatiently. "Don't worry, Blackfoot. Now, go."

Blackfoot, reassured, turned and darted out of the den. Tigerclaw followed, yowling, and threw himself back into the fray, though he was careful to keep his claws sheathed so as not to hurt any of his allies. Despite the adrenaline pumping through his body, he noted that all the patrols he had sent out earlier had returned. He had expected as much. As he batted at a rogue with a sheathed paw, Tigerclaw heard Blackfoot yowl above the din, "Retreat! Retreat!"

The rogues, knowing their part well, scattered, heading for the gorse tunnel. As the last rogue left the camp, ThunderClan let out a victory cheer, and Tigerclaw joined in as enthusiastically as the rest. Only Graystripe refrained from doing so. He stood in front of the nursery, looking torn. At last, with a quick glance over his shoulder at the nursery, he padded toward Bluestar's den. Tigerclaw let him go, knowing what Graystripe would find.

The medicine cats, Yellowfang and Cinderpaw, began to tend to the warriors' wounds. Tigerclaw ignored them and began to wash himself. As he washed his face, he tasted Bluestar's blood on his tongue, and he felt a little thrill, knowing that Bluestar was now out of his way.

"StarClan!" Graystripe exclaimed, and every cat turned to look at him as he backed away from the mouth of Bluestar's den. Turning to the camp, he shook his head, looking heartbroken, and said, "Bluestar and Fireheart... I think they're dead."

The camp hesitated, and Tigerclaw knew exactly why. Most of ThunderClan considered Graystripe a traitor, and weren't likely to believe what he said. Regardless, Whitestorm got up after a few heartbeats and padded across the clearing to Bluestar's den. He glanced inside, and Tigerclaw watched with satisfaction as the seasoned warrior's eyes widened. Without looking back, he slipped inside the den.

Tigerclaw got to his paws and followed Whitestorm, knowing that, as deputy, it would seem suspicious if he didn't. When he entered, he found Whitestorm bent over Bluestar's body. The warrior kept nudging Bluestar, as if hoping to startle her awake again. Fireheart still lay against the wall of the den, unconscious. Tigerclaw ignored him and crouched down next to Bluestar.

"She should be awake by now," Whitestorm murmured. "But her body is starting to go cold." He looked up, his eyes full of grief, and whispered, "Tigerclaw... I think she's lost her last life."

Tigerclaw bowed his head, more to hide the triumphant look in his eyes than out of grief. After a moment, he looked up at Whitestorm again and meowed, "We must tell the Clan."

Whitestorm nodded and looked down at Bluestar. "Rest in StarClan, my friend," he whispered.

Tigerclaw struggled not to roll his eyes. He turned to leave the den, but on his way out he nudged Fireheart with a paw. He was definitely still breathing. _All the better, _Tigerclaw thought as he exited the den. Leaping to the top of Highrock, Tigerclaw looked down at ThunderClan camp. There was no need to call the Clan to a meeting; they were already standing there below him. Now all Tigerclaw had to do was give the performance of his life.

"ThunderClan..." Tigerclaw stopped, to make it seem that he was overcome with grief. He counted three heartbeats before he continued, "ThunderClan, Bluestar has fallen."

There was a collective gasp amongst the Clan, and Tigerclaw watched smugly as the cats whispered amongst themselves. It was a shock for them all, he knew; Bluestar had been leader of ThunderClan for many seasons, and there were very few cats who couldn't remember a time before her. He waited until the chatter died down a little before saying, "I believe that one of the rogues killed her during the attack. Then Fireheart must have come in, and the rogue attacked him before leaving the den. Fireheart, however, is still alive." _But not for long, _he thought. "Darkstripe, could you please go to Bluestar's den and help Whitestorm carry out her body?"

As Darkstripe, his closest ally, entered the den, Tigerclaw added, "Tonight we will hold vigil with our great leader's body, and share tongues with her for the last time."

_And then, _he thought to himself, _I will become leader at last._


	2. Chapter 2

**furMoonglacier: -gives fluffy pillow in case of future collapses- I cannot answer any of your questions due to the fact that, if I do, I will spoil things. And I do so hate spoiling things.**

**Inushuik: Like I said, I got bored with the idea. I just couldn't write any more. I blame it on my ridiculously short attention span. Hopefully it's here to stay, especially since I haven't been able to finish a fic longer than ten chapters for this site. -_-**

**Nightkill: Thanks. :)**

**Giggles Just Giggles: I really do appreciate the sentiment, but please don't spam reviews, okay? I'm not going to lie and say that reviews don't matter, because they're great motivational tools. Just don't do it? Merci beaucoup!**

**Okay, so exams start in less than a month for me. And because I am currently in the semester from hell, I really shouldn't be writing fanfiction about talking cats. Except I am, because, you know, writing fanfiction about talking cats is a lot more fun than conjugating passé compose verbs in French or figuring out what the hell slope-point form is.**

**So I'm blaming you guys when I fail my four exams.**

**Okay?**

**Okay. Now that that's clear, let's move on to chapter two.**

**CHAPTER 2**

"Fireheart? Fireheart!"

Fireheart heard the voice as if it was coming from very far away, but he didn't quite register that it was speaking to him. He stirred a little, to curl into a tighter ball in his nice, warm nest of moss.

"Fireheart, wake up!"

Fireheart blinked, annoyed, and found Cinderpaw's face just a mouse-length from his own. He let out a gasp and pulled away from her, which sent his head throbbing with pain. Groaning, he muttered, "Cinderpaw, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to wake you up," Cinderpaw snapped. Fireheart stared at his ex-apprentice, slightly worried about how she was acting. What was wrong with her? Almost immediately, Cinderpaw lowered her head, as if ashamed of herself, and added, "I'm sorry. It's just, you know, Bluestar. . ."

Fireheart was puzzled for a moment. What had happened to Bluestar? He felt something nagging in the corner of his aching brain, something worrisome and terrible and that he felt awful for not remembering.

Then it clicked, and Fireheart's eyes widened in shock and grief. "Oh, StarClan," he whispered softly. "Bluestar."

Cinderpaw nodded sorrowfully. "I'm so sorry, Fireheart," she mewed softly. "I know that she was your mentor. Tigerclaw said that you saw her die."

Fireheart's eyes narrowed. "More like _Tigerclaw_ saw her die," he growled.

Cinderpaw looked at him, confused. "What?"

Fireheart shook his head. He wasn't going to tell Cinderpaw about_ that_. Not yet, not now, not tonight. "Never mind," he said.

"Okay. Well, it's moonhigh now. They'll be burying Bluestar soon. Yellowfang told me to let you rest, but. . . Well, I thought you would want to say goodbye," Cinderpaw said.

"I'll go," Fireheart replied, getting gingerly to his paws, his head feeling as if it was about to split into two. Almost absentmindedly, he noted that he was in the medicine cat's den. They must have taken him there after he had hit his head. "Thank you, Cinderpaw."

Cinderpaw helped him out into the clearing. ThunderClan was gathered around the body of their dead leader, their heads bowed in silence and grief. Fireheart picked his way slowly through the Clan until he stood next to Bluestar. Out of the corner of his eye, Fireheart saw his Clanmates eyeing him intently. He ignored them and bent down to nose Bluestar. Her body was stiff and cold, and the fur around her throat was matted with blood. Fireheart closed his eyes as a wave of grief and memories washed over him. He couldn't help but feel it was his fault that Bluestar was dead. If only he'd gotten to the den more quickly, he could have saved her. If only he had realized what Tigerclaw was planning. If only–

"It is time to bury Bluestar," Tigerclaw declared from the back of the crowd. Fireheart didn't look up, but he felt a rush of hatred toward the tom who had murdered his mentor.

"Goodbye, Bluestar," he meowed audibly. He reached down until his mouth was close to Bluestar, and for the leader's ears alone, he whispered, "I swear by StarClan that I will avenge you."

Fireheart listened hard for any sign that Bluestar's spirit had heard him. There was nothing.

The elders took Bluestar's body and bore it out of the camp to be buried. Fireheart stood in the middle of the clearing for a moment, his head throbbing, tired and upset and angry all at once. He sensed rather than heard someone walk up behind him, and didn't react when a cat rubbed their head against his own, except to close his eyes against the pain.

"Fireheart, are you all right?" a familiar she-cat's voice asked. It was Sandstorm, of course, one of his closest friends in all of ThunderClan.

Fireheart pulled away. "Not now, Sandstorm," he meowed softly. "I need to talk to Graystripe."

"How come?" asked Sandstorm, barring Fireheart's path as he began to pad toward the nursery. She looked almost defensive. Fireheart would have wondered why under normal circumstances, but his head was aching revealing the truth of a traitorous murderer ranked higher in his priorities than understanding the behaviour she-cats.

"I just need to see him, okay?" Fireheart said, pushing past Sandstorm. "We can talk later."

Almost as if on cue, Graystripe exited the nursery, blinking sleepily. His eyes found Fireheart and he gave himself a little shake before padding over to stand with him. Graystripe looked around the quickly-emptying camp for a moment, then turned to Fireheart and asked, "They buried Bluestar?"

Fireheart nodded, his throat tight.

Graystripe bowed his head. "I'm so sorry, Fireheart," he whispered. "Tigerclaw told the Clan that you must have witnessed her death." He looked up at Fireheart, his eyes blazing. "But it was Tigerclaw, wasn't it?"

Fireheart nodded again and cast a wary glance around, knowing full well that if the wrong cat overheard them, they would be killed for treason. "Let's leave camp for a little bit," he whispered. "I want to talk to you in private."

Graystripe cast a glance over his shoulder at the nursery, where his two kits were situated. After a pause, he nodded reluctantly but said, "Make it quick, please."

"Don't worry," Fireheart replied, steering his friend toward the gorse tunnel. When they reached the ravine, Fireheart sat down and began to wash his face, doing the best he could to ignore his aching head. As he washed himself, he whispered to Graystripe, "Bluestar was already dead when I entered her den. Tigerclaw was sitting there, pretending to be waiting for her to come back. I accused him of killing her–"

Graystripe raised a paw as if to cuff Fireheart on the ear, but remembering his injury in time, hissed instead, "_Mouse-brain_! Do you have a death wish? He's going to kill you for sure!"

Fireheart's head throbbed. The significance of the situation had been lost on him before, and it was only now that he realized how grave of a mistake he had made. "I wasn't thinking. I was angry and upset, okay?"

Graystripe just shook his head. "So, what are you going to do now? For some reason, I have a feeling that it's going to be suicidal," he said, deadly serious.

"I don't have any other choice but to accuse him in front of ThunderClan," Fireheart replied with a shrug.

Graystripe's eyes widened in horror. "_No_, you can't! They won't listen to you, Fireheart."

Fireheart stiffened slightly. "They'll believe me," he said, although doubt was beginning to creep into his mind even as he spoke. "I _saw_ Tigerclaw lead those rogues into our camp. I know about his killing Redtail, and his injuring Cinderpaw. If I just tell the Clan–"

"At best, the Clan will think you're cracked with grief and feel sorry for you. At worst, they'll call you a traitor, and then you'll be as dead as Deadfoot's dead foot," Graystripe replied sagely.

An idea occurred to Fireheart, and he said eagerly, "What if you backed me up? They'd have to believe two of us! We'll be–"

Graystripe actually _snarled_ at Fireheart and stuck his face right into the ginger tom's own, causing him to flinch. Practically nose to nose, Graystripe hissed, "_Listen _to yourself, Fireheart! Did that hit to your head damage your brain, or are you cracked with grief after all? You're mouse-brained if you think you and I can convince ThunderClan of anything. They've accepted that you're a kittypet, but when it comes down to it, you'll never quite be one of us. And me. . . they think I'm a traitor." Graystripe blinked and swallowed, and Fireheart knew that he was thinking of his mate Silverstream, mentally relieving the anguish on the riverbank as he had watched her die in birth. "If you think for one heartbeat that the word of a kittypet and a traitor will stand against the word of ThunderClan's deputy, you've learned nothing since you've come to the Clan. Best to keep a low profile, and hope that Tigerclaw doesn't rip out your throat at sunrise."

Fireheart stared at his best friend, anger, hurt, and doubt fighting a violent battle in his heart. To be told all of this in such frank terms was too much for him, especially Graystripe's kittypet comment. After working so hard to integrate himself with the warriors of ThunderClan, to learn their customs and ways and fighting techniques, hearing his best friend tell him that he could never be a true Clan cat was worse than any wound that could be received in battle. It was too much for him. He stood up and walked back to the gorse tunnel.

Halfway there, Fireheart heard paw steps behind him but didn't turn. Graystripe bounded up in front of him, blocking his way to the gorse tunnel, looking ashamed. "Fireheart, I didn't mean that," he insisted. "Really, I didn't. Of course you're a part of the Clan. I'm so sorry."

Fireheart ignored him and tried to pass, but Graystripe refused to budge.

"It's just, ever since Silverstream – well, if it weren't for you and the kits, I'd be dead at the bottom of the river," Graystripe continued quietly, his eyes fixed on the forest floor. Fireheart stared at his best friend, slack jawed, as he continued, "If you stood up to Tigerclaw, you'd die. And if I was at your side when you did, we'd both die. I'd lose you and my kits. I just don't want that to happen, Fireheart. That's the only reason I said what I said. I wasn't thinking..."

Fireheart hesitated as Graystripe's voice trailed away, his heart breaking. He had known that Silverstream's death had affected Graystripe, but not this deeply, to the point where he was on the brink of ending his own life. Slowly, Fireheart reached out and licked Graystripe between the ears, trying to be comforting. "It's okay," he meowed quietly. "I'm sorry. I'm not thinking straight. I think it's my head."

Graystripe nodded, his eyes still fixed on the ground.

Yellowfang the medicine cat chose that moment to burst out of the gorse tunnel. She was on the war path, an her eyes flashed angrily as they zeroed in on Fireheart.

"Fireheart! You're supposed to be resting, not running around like some mouse-brained hooligan!" she snapped.

Fireheart glanced at Graystripe, rolling his eyes, which made his head twinge. Graystripe, despite the very emotional moment they had just shared, actually sniggered before slipping past the other two cats and back into the camp.

"Technically, I'm not running around," Fireheart pointed out.

"None of that, now," Yellowfang said, her tail swishing back and forth dangerously. "Now, get back into the clearing, or else you'll have something more serious than a headache to deal with."

Sheepishly, Fireheart followed Yellowfang back to her den and curled up in the nest of moss that he had occupied earlier. As he settled into a comfortable position, he glanced up at Silverpelt. According to the warrior code, every star represented the spirit of a warrior who had joined StarClan. That night, there should have been a new star for Bluestar. But as Fireheart gazed upward, he felt a pang of doubt and grief. The warrior code, in which Fireheart had believed since he had joined ThunderClan, had failed to prevent Bluestar's murder. It had failed to safeguard against ambitious warriors like Tigerclaw from seizing power. It had failed Graystripe, Silverstream, and their kits. And who knew how many others the warrior code had failed?

Tonight, the warrior code just felt like words, and the stars merely cold, distant, and meaningless objects.

**-X-X-X-**

Fireheart awoke at sun high to find he medicine cat clearing empty. He cautiously inspected the den for any sign of Yellowfang or Cinderpaw, but both seemed to have disappeared. He wandered out into the camp, where the Clan was commencing with their lives as if their leader was not dead, and headed for the fresh-kill pile. There, he bumped into Sandstorm, who glanced at him, then looked away as if she was angry with him.

"Hi, Sandstorm," Fireheart greeted her, taking a mouse from the pile.

Sandstorm didn't reply. She walked away quickly from him, carrying her own fresh-kill with her. Fireheart, feeling a little hurt, followed her to the far corner of the camp. As Sandstorm lay down to eat with her back to him, Fireheart dropped his mouse and asked hesitantly, "So, where's Yellowfang and Cinderpaw?"

"They've gone to Mouthermouth with Tigerclaw," Sandstorm replied tersely. "So he can get his new name and nine lives. Darkstripe's in charge."

_Of course, he'd want to assume his leadership as soon as possible, and leave his lackeys in charge, _Fireheart thought. Still, he couldn't dwell on the problem when Sandstorm was acting so coldly toward him. "Is something wrong?" he asked her, sitting down next to Sandstorm.

Sandstorm tore furiously at her fresh-kill for a moment, acting as if she hadn't heard him. Just as Fireheart was about to repeat his question, she replied sourly, "What were you and Graystripe talking about last night?"

Fireheart's ears twitched. _Is that what's got her so annoyed? _he thought disbelievingly. _She-cats. _"I... can't tell you," Fireheart admitted.

"Of course you can't tell me," Sandstorm snapped. "You don't seem to ever tell me anything."

"No, Sandstorm, you don't get it," Fireheart said. "It's safer for you if you don't know."

Sandstorm rolled her eyes. "Fireheart, I can take care of myself as well as Graystripe can," she pointed out. "It won't kill you to tell me, will it?"

Fireheart hesitated. "No," he admitted. "Because I'll probably die for it anyway."

Sandstorm's head snapped round toward him, her attention caught. "You'll _die_?" she asked, flabbergasted and a little fearful.

Fireheart thought about it, then nodded. "Most likely. Still want to know about it?"

Sandstorm hesitated, cast a glance around the camp, and when she had ascertained that they were safe from eavesdroppers, whispered, "Yes."

Fireheart also cast a glance around, just to double-check, before he explained everything to Sandstorm in an undertone. The murder of Bluestar's old deputy, Redtail, Tigerclaw's plotting with the ShadowClan exiles, and his confession of killing Bluestar. When he was finished, Sandstorm shook her head. "That can't be. Tigerclaw would never do that," she said, but there was very little conviction in her voice.

"Tigerclaw's incredibly ambitious," Fireheart pointed out. "He'd do anything to become leader. And yesterday, in Bluestar's den, I said something that gave away that I knew what he was doing. Whenever Tigerclaw comes back, he'll probably accuse me of being a traitor and have me killed."

Sandstorm's eyes were round as moons. "That explains what Tigerclaw was saying to Darkstripe before he left for Mouthermouth at sunrise," Sandstorm said.

Fireheart's curiosity was piqued. "What did he say?"

"Tigerclaw told Darkstripe not to let you leave camp while he was gone," Sandstorm answered, shaking her head slowly. "When Darkstripe asked why, Tigerclaw told him, 'Because of his head.' But it's so obvious; he's afraid you'll make a break for it."

Fireheart had never considered running away. He instantly dismissed the idea as ludicrous. How could he run away from ThunderClan? He would rather die.

Sandstorm guessed what he was thinking, and said firmly, "If Tigerclaw's really that determined to kill you, I really think you should make a run for it."

"If my last words are 'Tigerclaw is a traitor' before he kills me, then so be it," Fireheart declared bravely.

Sandstorm glared at him. "Fireheart, this is no time to be noble," she said. "I'm serious. You should leave right now, you and Graystripe, before it's too late."

Fireheart wished he had never told Sandstorm about Tigerclaw. It would have been much easier that way. "Graystripe can't leave his kits behind," he said, remembering Graystripe's confession to him earlier that night. "If we left, Tigerclaw would kill them for sure. And I can't leave the Clan behind."

Sandstorm, who had already finished her fresh-kill, began to bury the scraps. "I could look after the kits," she proposed. "They're with Goldenflower now, right? And Goldenflower is Tigerclaw's mate. She loves them like they're her own. She could convince him to spare their lives. And if not, I'll smuggle them over to RiverClan. It would be better for them there than here."

"And where exactly are we supposed to go?" Fireheart asked, his resolve beginning to weaken as Sandstorm laid out her arguments against his. "We'd be lucky if any of the Clans would let us off their territory without tearing out our throats. RiverClan hates Graystripe, ShadowClan hates us in general, and WindClan wouldn't want to take exiles. Because that's exactly what we would be if we ran away. Exiles."

Sandstorm had to concede defeat on that point. "Give up Clan life then," she suggested.

"And do what, go back to Twolegplace? Never," Fireheart replied firmly. "No, Sandstorm, I'm staying in ThunderClan."

"You toms," Sandstorm snapped, getting to her paws abruptly. She looked angry and upset. "Why do you have to be so _stubborn_?"

And with that, she stalked away.

Fireheart watched her go, sadness stabbing at his heart. Unbidden, a single thought occurred to him; _I'm going to miss her in StarClan._

**-X-X-X-**

As Tigerclaw (or Tigerstar, as he had been renamed at Mothermouth) padded into camp with the medicine cats behind him, a few of the warriors noticed him and called out his new name. The other warriors emerged from their dens and joined in, taking up the chant, "Tigerstar! Tigerstar!"

Tigerstar gave them a condescending smile as his eyes swept the crowd for Darkstripe. When he caught the tabby's eye, Tigerstar inclined his head toward the leader's den, where they could get some privacy. Darkstripe, catching his hint, accompanied Tigerstar inside the den. Tigerstar sat and regarded Darkstripe with a cold gaze, and asked, "Did Fireheart leave camp today?"

Darkstripe shook his head. "Not at all."

Tigerstar's lip curled in satisfaction. _So Fireheart hasn't had a chance to escape, _he thought. _Excellent. _Aloud he said,"Now, I'm about to call a Clan meeting, Darkstripe. The meeting will have two important items on the agenda. One, I will be appointing a new deputy."

Darkstripe attempted to keep his expression blank, but Tigerstar saw a glimmer of ambition in his friend's eyes. Darkstripe was the cat that Tigerstar trusted the most, and was a natural choice for deputy. Still, Tigerstar didn't like that look. He would still appoint Darkstripe deputy, of course, but he would have to keep his eye on the tom. "The other is to get rid of our resident kittypet and traitor. For good, if you know what I mean."

Darkstripe's whiskers twitched in a smile. "On what grounds?" he asked eagerly.

"While I was receiving my nine lives, StarClan revealed to me the identity of Bluestar's killer," Tigerstar said. Of course, he was lying; no such thing had occurred. Still, this was the speech he was planning on giving the Clan, and it was the story he would stick to in the moons to come. "Fireheart was Bluestar's true killer. He was hoping to pin her murder on me so that I would be disgraced and exiled, then assume the possession of leader in my place. And, of course, he was assisted by that dirty traitor, that Graystripe."

Darkstripe's eyes shone with glee. He hated Fireheart almost as much as Tigerstar did, and Tigerstar could tell that Darkstripe didn't understand that Fireheart was a threat. He just wanted to be rid of the kittypet as soon as possible.

"Now, when I reveal this to the Clan, I want you to call for their deaths. Others will take up the cry, and as leader, I must have give the Clan what they want, mustn't I?" Tigerstar asked.

Darkstripe nodded eagerly.

"Remember, the other item of business is to appoint a new deputy," Tigerstar reminded him, just to be sure that Darkstripe would comply.

"Yes, of course, Tigerstar," Darkstripe said, still nodding. "Thank you. Will you call the Clan meeting right away?"

"Yes, I'll do so right now," Tigerstar said. "Now, get out of here."

Darkstripe scatted. Tigerstar remained in his den for a moment, bracing himself for another grand performance. Then he exited the leader's den – _his_ den – and leapt to the top of Highrock. "Let all Clan cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Obediently, cats began to assemble beneath Highrock. Tigerstar spotted Fireheart and Graystripe sitting together at the fringe of the crowd. Both looked tense, as if they knew what was coming. Tigerstar tore his gaze away from the two toms and looked down at his Clanmates.

"ThunderClan, as you know, I journeyed to Mothermouth so that I may be given my new name and my nine lives, as befits a leader," Tigerstar began. He saw several Clan cats nodding and continued, "And as I shared tongues with StarClan, they revealed something of great importance to me in a dream; the identity of Bluestar's killers."

He had the Clan's entire attention now. Their eyes were fixated upon Tigerstar, and no one stirred. Tigerstar felt a faint thrill of excitement in his stomach as he added, "Fireheart, Graystripe. Please step forward."

Graystripe shot Fireheart a panicky glance. Fireheart's eyes were as round as the moon in the sky, but all the same, he stood up and padded toward Highrock, his head held high, his eyes defiant. _Yes, _Tigerstar thought, watching Fireheart approach. _He knows what's coming._ Graystripe trailed after Fireheart, and when they reached the base of Highrock, Tigerstar ordered, "Turn and face ThunderClan."

They did so, their backs to Tigerstar. The two toms were so close that Tigerstar could smell the fear rolling off their bodies. Tigerstar's lip curled, relishing the moment. It was time to snuff out the fire before it consumed him.

"My fellow warriors," Tigerstar declared from his position atop Highrock, "see before you those who have killed our beloved leader."

**You want to kill me right now, don't you? In my defence, this chapter is over 4k. If I kept going, it could have been 5k or more, and I didn't want it to drag on and on and on. . .**

**. . . And also I think it's funny to throw you a cliffhanger. 0:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Nightkill: Or not getting back to it for two months. –sheepish–**

**Moonglacier: That was my reaction when I found out that John Green was signing all pre-ordered copies of The Fault With Our Stars, but with the addition of "John didn't forget to be awesome." XD (I hope there are fellow nerdfighters reading this, because if there are, they will get it. And I will also love them forever.)**

**cookiesncream51: I kind of don't like fact that you spelled "don't" without an apostrophe. :) I also really don't like your review. I don't care if you don't like the story; I want to know **_**why **_**you don't like the story. Is my grammar terrible? Is my writing itself insufficient in some way? Is my plot as flimsy as a paper screen and as easy to read as a Dick and Jane book? Or do you just not like the fact that I killed Bluestar? (If so, that's kind of pathetic. In A Fine Balance, I didn't like it when one of the characters was castrated, another's legs amputated, another evicted from her apartment, and a fourth committed suicide. It was still a very good book that I love to bits.) I invite you or anyone else to review or PM me and explain what you don't like about my story, and what I can do to improve my writing, since as a writer, that is always my number one priority. :)**

**So writing fan fiction kind of fell off the radar for me in the past couple of months. I know that's no excuse, but there was a lot of things going on that I don't want to talk about here. And then I checked my story stats and discovered that this story has over 400 hits, eleven reviews, three alerts, six faves, and is in one C2 Community. Just based on two chapters.**

**And I was like: O_O**

**So I wrote this chapter in the space of about one hour (I type fast), figuring that I owed you guys for being awesome.**

**Unfortunately, it was not a good chapter. It's mostly just a filler, a way to get from Point A to Point B. The next few chapters are going to get better, because there will be lots of Tigerstar, and lots of doubting on Fireheart's part, and then Spottedleaf will make an appearance (I hate Spottedleaf, for the record, but I'm going to try to make her more badass while also staying true to her character, so wish me luck), and then we'll find out about these cats who will be so eager to help Fireheart take out Tigerstar. :D**

**For the time being though, let's move on to chapter three!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 3<strong>

ThunderClan broke out into an uproar at Tigerstar's accusation. He was not concerned with their protests and questions, however. His eyes were fixed on Fireheart, who had visibly stiffened. He felt a little thrill of satisfaction.

"Quiet!" Tigerstar ordered, once he had judged the uproar to have gone on for long enough. The Clan slowly quieted. "StarClan themselves have revealed to me the identities of Bluestar's killers, and I assure you that these two are the culprits."

"He's wrong."

Fireheart's voice was quiet and full of certainty as he spoke up, interrupting Tigerstar.

"Quiet, traitor!" Darkstripe hissed, always quick to follow Tigerstar's lead.

The kittypet ignored Darkstripe. "Tigerstar killed Bluestar," Fireheart said, taking a step forward and gazing at ThunderClan imploringly. "I saw him with my own two eyes! He's been scheming and plotting his way into the leader's den, and killing Bluestar was all he needed to do to make that happen!"

"Lies!" Longtail piped up from near the back of the Clan as the cats began to talk amongst themselves.

Tigerstar hung his head, assuming an air of disappointment and hurt. "StarClan warned me this would happen," he said. "They told me that Fireheart would try to pin Bluestar's murder on myself. It is true, as deputy, that I would have the most to gain from killing Bluestar." Tigerstar knew he was walking a dangerous line now, but he had confidence that he could pull off his coup successfully. "Doesn't that make me the perfect cat to pin the murder on, however? Fireheart and Graystripe killed Bluestar, planned to accuse me of being the true murderer, and Fireheart, being Bluestar's apprentice, would make the case to become ThunderClan's new leader. After that, he would appoint Graystripe as his deputy and together, would destroy the ThunderClan we all know and love. Before long, we would be awash in kittypets and half-Clans. Is that what you want?"

"No!" a few warriors cried out enthusiastically. Others nodded in agreement. Still others gazed up at Tigerclaw, clearly unable to decide whom to trust.

"I propose that we kill these traitors, here and now," Tigerstar continued, stamping his paw against the Highrock. "Do you agree, ThunderClan?"

This time, only Darkstripe, Longtail, and a couple of other cats spoke up in agreement. The rest remained deadly silent. Then, from near the back of the crowd, Whitestorm stood up.

"I agree that Fireheart and Graystripe have committed a grave crime," the old warrior said, disappointment filling his yellow eyes. "However, I also feel that we should treat them with compassion, as that would have been what Bluestar would have wanted. I think a sentence of exile would be a more fitting sentence."

"Here, here!" cried out most of the warriors.

Tigerstar paced up and down Highrock for a moment, considering the situation. He wanted to kill Fireheart straight away (Graystripe was not that big of a problem, besides being Fireheart's crony), to prevent the prophecy that Bluestar had uttered before dying from occurring. However, he also didn't want to jeopardize his leadership by making an unpopular decision.

But there could be a compromise. . .

Tigerstar stopped pacing and, turning back to the Clan, announced, "I have come to a decision. We will exile the traitors."

"What?" Darkstripe exclaimed. "Tigerstar–"

"_However_," Tigerstar said, ignoring Darkstripe, "should the traitors be seen on ThunderClan territory, you are under orders to kill them immediately." Here, he addressed Fireheart and Graystripe, "You have until tomorrow, at sunrise, to remove yourselves from ThunderClan territory."

Without another word, Tigerstar leapt down from Highrock. Fireheart and Graystripe stood rooted to the spot, apparently stunned. Then, realizing what had just happened, both of them streaked toward the gorse tunnel, vanishing into the forest.

Tigerstar beckoned to Darkstripe and led him a bit away from the Clan, who began to break into small groups to discuss the newest development. Neither of them noticed Cinderpaw standing within earshot of them, apparently too stunned to realize that the meeting was over.

"I want you to take Longtail and Dustpelt on a little hunting expedition," Tigerstar whispered to Darkstripe.

Darkstripe gave his leader a look that clearly said that he thought Tigerstar was cracked.

"A hunting expedition?" asked Darkstripe.

"Yes," Tigerstar replied with a nod. "A hunting expedition."

Darkstripe stared at him blankly. Then, realizing what Tigerstar meant, understanding dawned in his eyes. "You want me to track down the traitors and kill them, don't you?" Darkstripe whispered.

Tigerstar gave an inconspicuous nod. Neither of them noticed Cinderpaw get up and limp away.

"It's the kittypet that concerns me most," Tigerstar said. "His little cross-Clan friend is only a secondary problem. It is imperative that you kill the kittypet first. Do you understand me, Darkstripe?"

"Yes, Tigerstar, and I won't let you down," Darkstripe assured him.

"Go get your companions and track them down," Tigerstar told Darkstripe. "Be back by sunrise."

Darkstripe ran off to find Longtail and Dustpelt for their little hunting expedition. Tigerstar, satisfied with his day's work, decided to return to his den for a good night's sleep. As he made his way to his new den, he saw the ginger she-cat Sandstorm exit the camp. Thinking nothing of it, he entered his den and curled up in his nest, drifting off to sleep with no remorse for the two lives that were about to be taken under his orders.

**-X-X-X-**

Fireheart and Graystripe didn't speak until they had put quite a bit of distance between themselves and the camp. When they had, Graystripe stopped and sat down. Fireheart followed his friend's lead.

"I'm so sorry, Graystripe," he said, nudging his friend's shoulder. "I know that this is all my fault."

Graystripe shook his head. "You couldn't have done anything, Fireheart," he whispered quietly. "It's Tigerstar's fault, not yours."

That didn't stop Fireheart from feeling prickles of guilt.

Graystripe looked up at Fireheart, his eyes full of grief and determination. "Where shall we go?" he asked.

Fireheart got up and began to pace, thinking it over. "We can't go to ShadowClan, obviously," he said. "They hate us. RiverClan..."

"Will have nothing to do with me," Graystripe replied quietly.

"And I'm not going to leave you," Fireheart said determinedly.

Graystripe's whiskers turned up in a small smile at the loyalty of his best friend. It was all they had to share between them anyway, now that they were exiles.

"WindClan?" Graystripe suggested. "They like us."

Fireheart hesitated. "They like us, but Tigerstar would give them a hard time if we joined their Clan," he pointed out. "In fact, if any of the Clans take us in, they'll be given a hard time. Tigerstar wants me dead, Graystripe."

"I know," Graystripe replied. "I'm somewhat surprised that he just didn't ignore the Clan and kill us then. I expected to feel his claws ripping into me any heartbeat."

Fireheart nodded, shuddering. There had been a moment where he was terrified that he would die, and he sympathized with Graystripe's pain. "I don't think we can join any of the Clans, Graystripe," he meowed softly. "We'll have to give up Clan life forever now."

Both of them fell silent. Fireheart had been born a kittypet, and had only joined ThunderClan when he was six moons. Exile was not quite as devastating for him as it was for Graystripe, who had been born into ThunderClan and in whom the disgrace that came from exile had been ingrained since his birth.

"Twolegplace?" Fireheart suggested.

Graystripe gave him a disgusted look.

"I'm bouncing ideas around," Fireheart said defensively. "Um... We could go to Barley's barn."

"What about the medicine cats?" asked Graystripe. "What if Tigerstar has to go to Mothermouth? Cats stop in at the barn when they go there, you know. They could see us and let something slip."

"Ravenpaw has been hiding at Barley's barn for moons now, and Tigerstar hasn't got a clue that he's there," Fireheart pointed out.

Graystripe's expression brightened at this. "Great StarClan, I've forgotten about Ravenpaw," he meowed. "It's not quite the same though. Tigerstar thinks that Ravenpaw is dead. He _knows_ we're alive. I wouldn't be surprised if he sent his lackeys after us. In fact–"

Graystripe was interrupted by a crashing of undergrowth behind them. Both he and Fireheart turned to see the source of the noise, their hackles rising. Then Sandstorm burst out of the bushes, breathing heavily, smelling strongly of fox dung.

"Thank StarClan I've found you before Darkstripe!" Sandstorm exclaimed, catching sight of the two toms. She darted forward and licked Fireheart's ears. "Cinderpaw overheard Tigerstar. He's sending a small patrol after you to kill you, lead by Darkstripe."

Graystripe shot Fireheart an "I-told-you-so" look, but Fireheart was too busy panicking to notice or care.

"I lost time because I had to find fox dung to roll around in to disguise my scent," she explained. "You two have to get moving, _now_, before they catch up to us."

"Thank you for telling us, Sandstorm," Fireheart replied, giving her own ears a quick lick. "Thank Cinderpaw for me as well. We're going to Barley's barn, by Mothermouth. We'll be hiding there."

Sandstorm nodded. "Before you go," she said, speaking quickly, "I just have to ask; you didn't really kill Bluestar, did you? It really was Tigerstar?"

Fireheart nodded.

Sandstorm closed her eyes. "Okay," she said, sounding glad. "I didn't think you could kill her. . . You were her apprentice. Anyway, you should get going."

Fireheart got up, wishing that Sandstorm could come with him, but knowing she would want to stay behind with the Clan, where it was safer, and not follow him into a life of exile.

"Sandstorm, my kits. . ." Graystripe began.

"I'll look after them for you," Sandstorm promised.

Graystripe's eyes were full of gratitude. "Thank you so much," he said.

The two toms set off at a run, but they could still hear Sandstorm calling out to them, "May StarClan guide and protect you on your path!"

Graystripe and Fireheart ran like they had never run before, not sure how much time they had until Darkstripe's patrol caught up with them and not wanting to find out. The forest past by in a blur, and even though the pace at which they were going was slowly killing Fireheart, he didn't dare to slow down. At last, they reached Fourtrees, but even here, they did not stop. They kept running, running on and on, reaching the wild moors of WindClan territory. It was only here that they began to slow down, mostly to prevent themselves from being discovered by an enemy patrol rather than because they felt themselves safe from Darkstripe. Although WindClan did like Fireheart and Graystripe, there was no knowing how they would react when they discovered their exile.

Unfortunately, secrecy was not meant to be for them. About halfway across WindClan territory, Fireheart scented a hunting patrol nearby. Fireheart whipped his head around, trying to figure out where the smell was coming from, but before he could see the patrol, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"Fireheart? Graystripe?"

Fireheart and Graystripe whipped around to see their friend Onewhisker standing behind them. Next to him was Deadfoot, WindClan's deputy, carrying a dead rabbit in his mouth. Deadfoot set the rabbit down and, glaring at Fireheart and Graystripe, asked, "What are you doing on WindClan territory?"

Graystripe cast Fireheart a questioning look, clearly wondering how much of the truth they should reveal.

"ThunderClan camp... was attacked," Fireheart panted, almost ready to collapse from exhaustion. "Tigerclaw – no, he's Tigerstar now – led a group of rogues into our camp to distract the Clan while he killed Bluestar. And Tigerstar... Phew, sorry, we've been running since we left camp. Anyway, Tigerstar blamed Bluestar's murder on the two of us and had us exiled."

By the expression on Deadfoot's face, he clearly thought that Fireheart was delirious. Even Onewhisker looked doubtful.

"It's true," said Graystripe. "We're trying to get away from the Clans. We'll be off your territory before you know it."

Onewhisker and Deadfoot exchanged glances. "I think they're innocent," Onewhisker said to the deputy.

Deadfoot sighed and shook his head. "You are too trusting, Onewhisker," he mewed. To Fireheart, he said, "You are sure that Tigercl–Tige_star_ killed Bluestar?"

"I saw him," Fireheart insisted.

"And you would recommend that we do not trust Tigerstar?"

"Yes, I recommend it," Fireheart replied. "Strongly."

"Who is his deputy?"

"Darkstripe."

"And where are you going?"

"We can't tell you," Fireheart answered, which was, more or less, the truth. It was one thing to divulge their destination to Sandstorm, a friend and an ally; but to a warrior from a rival Clan was a completely different matter.

Deadfoot nodded thoughtfully. "I will tell Tallstar about this," he said. "I will give you the benefit of the doubt for now. I certainly trust you more than I would trust Tigerstar or Darkstripe. Thank you for this information, Fireheart."

"No problem, Deadfoot," Fireheart replied. "Thank you."

"StarClan guide you," Onewhisker said as he and Deadfoot set off across the moors again.

"StarClan guide you," Graystripe echoed. As they turned away and continued on toward the barn, Graystripe said, "I love WindClan."

Fireheart cast a glance over his shoulder. "I would rather it if they hadn't seen us," he said, "but they were downwind. I suppose it can't be helped."

"No, it really can't," Graystripe replied. "At least they don't know where we'll be going."

Eventually, they found themselves at Barley's barn, the smell of dog as strong as ever, but without any noises that indicated the infernal creatures were out and about. The sun hung low in the sky, painting it red as blood. Fireheart thought it seemed ominous.

"Great StarClan!"

Fireheart nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard another cat's voice coming from behind him. He whipped around and saw his friend Ravenpaw standing behind them, his mouth open in shock.

"Hi, Ravenpaw," Fireheart said wearily. "I know you're wondering what we're doing here, but Graystripe and I really need to sleep."

Ravenpaw nodded in understanding. "Okay," he said, although it was clear that he was bursting with questions. "Come on, let's go into the barn."

Ravenpaw led them into the barn, which was warm and smelled of mice, cows, and hay. Barley the loner was eating a mouse when they entered and, seeing the three toms together, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"We'll tell you after we have a nap," Graystripe said, yawning. "It's a long story, and we've been running since we left ThunderClan camp."

Barley looked as if he was about to order them to tell the story anyway, but Ravenpaw shook his head at Barley. "Let them sleep," he said. "They're tired, and they'll be no good until they take a nap. Just lie in the hay, the cows won't bother you."

"Thank you," Fireheart said gratefully, settling down into the soft, sweet-smelling hay. "We promise we'll tell you everything. When we wake up."

"If we wake up," Graystripe mumbled sleepily as he lay down.

The two toms drifted off to sleep almost as quickly and suddenly as they had arrived at the barn, into a black, dreamless, and peaceful sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>So like I said, basically a filler chapter. But hey, I'll make it up with a stellar one next time, okay? Okay.<strong>

**Oh, and for the record, I didn't fail any of my exams. Well, I know for sure I didn't fail three of them. My history teacher wasn't there to give me mine back (and he didn't even show up for the actual exam!) so I might have failed that one. But basically, you guys are off the hook for that. XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**Koraki: To be honest, it doesn't take much to trump the average quality of Warriors fics. There's a reason I left the fandom. But I'm glad you like it. (But mostly I am glad that you are a nerdfighter. :D)**

**Leapordfire97: I've actually never heard of the "What if the NP cats hadn't gotten back" one... Hmm. I'm intrigued. But thank you. :)**

**Mistysky: Yeah, Tigerstar's going to be kicking himself over this. . . but it's not like he could just kill Graystripe and Fireheart, because the Clan would have objected, and this early on in his leadership, he can't afford unpopular decisions.**

**Coqui's Song: Moron? You called me a moron because I misspelled Highrock and Fourtrees? HOW DARE YOU, SIR! IT'S NOT MY FAULT I HAVEN'T READ WARRIORS IN YEARS AND CAN'T BE BOTHERED TO READ THE SOURCE MATERIAL AGAIN, OKAY?**

**... Just kidding. You got me, so you are justified in calling me a moron, and I commend you for it. XD The problems are fixed. Your review(s) made me smile, by the way. And I agree, the original series was by far the best, and I miss awesome Fireheart.**

**YAJJ: Flamers don't bother me too much. I used to be one, years ago, and I am ashamed to admit it. Although my flames went much more in-depth than "I don't really like this." (Read: Break-down of grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, violation of Guidelines, etc.) Actually, I'm kind of pleased. I've been writing fanfiction for almost four years and that was the first real flame I've ever received, even if it was a pathetic one. XD However, as a writer, I reallyreally**_**really**_** need to improve, which is why I'm writing fanfiction in the first place, and the lack of advice in that guy's review bugged me more than him not liking it. Thank you for having my back though. –high-fives–**

**My promise of this being a stellar chapter may or may not have been met. I know this is really short, especially considering I haven't updated in over a month. I feel really guilty on both those counts, especially considering how sparkly the stats are for this now. I'M SORRY. :(**

**However, this chapter is great because in this short chapter, there are some great, deep lines! And also some badassery! And a rant at the end! All my favourite things in life and literature! :D Not that this is literature, obviously.**

**Without further ado, here's chapter four!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 4<strong>

"_You what_?"

"We... we lost their scent, Tigerstar. At Fourtrees. We think they went into WindClan territory," Darkstripe answered nervously.

"Why didn't you follow them?"

Darkstripe didn't reply.

Tigerstar turned away from Darkstripe, sheathing and unsheathing his claws in anger. How could they have lost Fireheart and Graystripe? They would have no reason to suspect that warriors had been sent to kill them so quickly. Had someone tipped them off? Or had they simply been lucky?

Tigerstar paced back and forth across his den, berating himself for not killing Fireheart and Graystripe when he had a chance. But, no, he couldn't have. He couldn't start out his leadership by making such an unpopular decision.

What Tigerstar worried about the most was Fireheart or Graystripe speaking to one of the other Clan leaders, telling them what happened, and then turning them against him. ShadowClan and RiverClan were already hostile to ThunderClan, and while a change in leadership might help, certain details about how that chance happened could cause war. WindClan was made of weaklings and they were as useless as flies to him. But, as Tigerstar very well knew, Fireheart and Graystripe were well-acquainted with the weaklings of WindClan. . . If they were to go anywhere, then it surely would be to WindClan.

Tigerstar stopped pacing and turned to look at Darkstripe. "Organize two patrols," he said. "Send one of the patrols to RiverClan, and the other to ShadowClan, warning them that Fireheart and Graystripe are killers and traitors, and that they should not be trusted, but killed upon sight."

"What about WindClan?" asked Darkstripe.

Tigerstar's lip curled. "You and I will go there together," he said. "For we have a little extra business to take care of. Now. Get to work."

Darkstripe nodded and quickly left the den, leaving Tigerstar to his own musings in the dark cave.

**-X-X-X-**

Tigerstar and Darkstripe set off for WindClan camp together, neither one of them particularly concerned about getting caught by a hostile moonhigh patrol. As they walked, Tigerstar tried to pick up Fireheart and Graystripe's scent, but he couldn't find any traces of it, which frustrated him to no end. He was convinced that Fireheart and Graystripe had come this way, but the lack of scent seemed to indicate otherwise.

At last, without being stopped or challenged (or even seen by) any WindClan patrols, they made it to WindClan camp. It was practically deserted; all the cats seemed to be sleeping in their dens. As he entered, Tigerstar looked round and caught sight of Tallstar and Deadfoot speaking quietly together. Deadfoot, the first to notice their presence, stopped talking at once and stared at the ThunderClan leader and deputy. Tallstar looked round, confused at his deputy's abrupt silence, and saw Tigerstar. Confusion flickered in his eyes, quickly replaced with a sort of wariness as he got up and padded over to Tigerstar.

"Good evening, Tigerclaw," said Tallstar, inclining his head. "To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from ThunderClan's deputy?"

"It's Tigerstar now, actually," Tigerstar corrected him. "Bluestar was killed in a most unfortunate raid on ThunderClan camp."

Tallstar's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked, in a tone of voice that did not indicate that he was surprised. On the contrary, he seemed to have been expecting this reply, and Tigerstar immediately went on his guard. "Who raided? RiverClan? ShadowClan?"

"Rogues," replied Tigerstar.

"Rogues led by Fireheart and Graystripe," added Darkstripe.

Tigerstar shot his deputy a warning look, and Darkstripe bowed his head. Deadfoot, who limped over just in time to catch this last remark, asked, "What's this about Fireheart and Graystripe?"

"They led rogues into ThunderClan camp and killed Bluestar," Tallstar said.

"Hmm," Deadfoot said. "That doesn't sound like them. Wasn't she Fireheart's mentor?"

"Yes," Tigerstar answered. "His plan was to frame me with the murder, have me killed or exiled for treason, and then assume the leadership position himself, appointing Graystripe as his deputy. His plan. . . didn't work."

"Obviously not," Tallstar said drily. "Our condolences on the loss of Bluestar. She was an excellent leader." He gazed up at Silverpelt for a moment, like in the mass of cold, distant stars, he might be able to pick her out. Then he glanced back at Tigerstar and said, in a too-casual tone that proved that he knew the truth, "I assume that you have punished the traitors accordingly."

Tigerstar unsheathed his claws and sank them deep into the soil, unable to control his anger at this dig. "Not with death, if that's what you mean," he hissed through gritted teeth.

"Oh," said Tallstar, his eyes slightly widening at this. "Exile, then?"

Tigerstar nodded. "We have sent patrols to the other Clan camps, to warn them about Fireheart and Graystripe, and to request that, if they are seen, the be treated as you would treat any other trespasser," he said. "I felt like I should come to WindClan myself, as I know that they had deep connections to this Clan. I worried perhaps that they would offer you a skewed story in order to join WindClan, and that you were unknowingly harbouring traitors."

"They have not joined WindClan, nor are they in our camp," Tallstar said, gesturing at the entire camp with his tail. "You can look if you wish."

Tallstar's openness to their searching the camp made Tigerstar suddenly doubt that either of the exiles were there. But there was still the possibility they had travelled this way. "Well, have you seen them on your territory?" Tigerstar asked.

There was a heartbeat of silence, just a little too long to invite doubt, a little too short to be sure of that doubt. "No," said Deadfoot.

"If you see them on your territory, will you treat them as you would treat any other rogues or loners on your territory?" asked Tigerstar.

"WindClan," Tallstar said pointedly, "doesn't ally themselves with traitors."

Tigerstar gazed at Tallstar, trying to break the leader down. Tallstar gazed back, his eyes slightly narrowed, his tail flicking back and forth from side to side. Tigerstar was unable to read the WindClan leader's expression, nor could he fully understand what Tallstar meant. By traitors, did he mean Fireheart or Graystripe – or did he mean Tigerstar? Was this a hint that, come what may, Tallstar would not ally himself with ThunderClan?

"What do you mean by that, exactly?" Tigerstar asked.

"Nothing," Tallstar replied.

For a weak-willed excuse of a leader, Tigerstar had to admit that Tallstar was a surprisingly excellent liar. He hesitated for a moment, kneading the ground with his paws; then, turning away, he said, "Excellent. StarClan guide you, Tallstar."

"StarClan guide you," Tallstar repeated. As Tigerstar and Darkstripe left the quiet camp, he thought he heard the leader add softly, "Off my territory and as far away from my Clan as you can go."

**-X-X-X-**

_Fireheart was in a small, dark, enclosed space, so tight that he could not turn around. He could feel rock pressing in on him from all sides, and he could barely breathe from panic. He was trapped, trapped, and there was no way out except to go forward, further into the unknown that was the darkness._

_He was going to die. He was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it, and that was not okay with him._

_"It's okay," a familiar voice whispered in his ear._

_Fireheart gave a start. "Bluestar?" he tried to ask, but he seemed to have lost his voice. "Bluestar, are you there? Is that you?"_

_The voice spoke again, a little farther away, coming from further on in the tunnel. "Just keep going," the voice whispered, beginning to fade. "Keep going. . ."_

_But Fireheart remained stubbornly in place. "I can't," he wanted to say, but the words were lodged in his throat, unable to break free. "I can't, Bluestar."_

_And this time, somehow, she seemed to have heard him._

_"Why can't you?" she asked, her voice fading away even further._

That _was a very good question, and Fireheart contemplated it. "Because I don't know what's ahead," he admitted._

_And in his mind's eye, he could just picture her shaking her head in a disapproving fashion. "Do we ever know what lies ahead?" she asked him, somewhat sadly. "It's not what you can't see that should scare you. It's what's illuminated by the fire that should."_

**-X-X-X-**

When Fireheart woke up, he found two dead mice and Ravenpaw lying beside him. He blinked sleepily, not quite registering this fact, for he was in the disoriented state that came between sleeping and awake, between dream and reality; but when Ravenpaw asked him if he was awake or not, Fireheart's eyes shot open and he looked around at his surroundings, confused and groggy.

"Sorry," Ravenpaw said apologetically. "I thought you were awake. I didn't mean to scare you."

Fireheart, remembering the events of the previous day, sat up and yawned. "It's okay," he said, stretching.

"These are for you and Graystripe," Ravenpaw said, nudging one of the mice with his paw. "But he wasn't here when I came to check on you."

Fireheart turned to look where Graystripe had been sleeping, but sure enough, there was no sign of his friend. He touched the hay where Graystripe had been lying, and discovered it was cold.

"He must have left a long time ago," Fireheart said. "Maybe he went hunting."

Ravenpaw shrugged. "I didn't see him," he said. "But the barn is awfully large. Anyway, you should eat. You've had a rough trip."

Fireheart ate one of the mice, more out of obedience than because he was hungry, leaving the other for Graystripe in case he came back. Silently, he dwelled over the events of the past few days, trying to grapple with the fact that he was gone, really gone, from ThunderClan forever. But he couldn't. He _couldn't _have left the Clans forever. That was all he had ever wanted, and now it was gone.

"So," Ravenpaw said, snapping Fireheart from his thoughts, "not to sound rude, but why are you here?"

Fireheart looked around for Barley, thinking that the tomcat might want to hear the story as well, but Ravenpaw shook his head. "Barley's off hunting, or sleeping, or something. It doesn't matter to him if you're here or not. He doesn't really care why; _especially_ if it has to do with the Clans."

"Oh," said Fireheart. "Well, that's a good thing, then, because it does have to do with the Clans."

Ravenpaw looked suddenly worried. "What happened?" he asked.

So Fireheart explained everything, from the false-attack on camp to Bluestar's murder, from his and Graystripe's exile to the patrol that had been sent after them, from running into a WindClan patrol to their arrival at the barn. Ravenpaw listened in silence, his eyes huge and round as moons, concern apparent on his pudgy face. When Fireheart finished, Ravenpaw gazed down at the ground, silently mulling this story over. Then he looked up again.

"This is bad, Fireheart," he said. "But I'm glad that you and Graystripe got out okay."

Fireheart just nodded silently.

"So are you going to stay here?" asked Ravenpaw. "Barley wouldn't care, I'm sure. He keeps to himself, mostly, but he's a nice old tomcat, once you get to know him."

"I guess we'll be here," Fireheart said. "There isn't anywhere else to go, really."

Ravenpaw nodded in agreement. "It's a safe place here, at any rate," he said. "Tigerstar hasn't found me yet, after all. He still thinks I'm dead, and now that he's leader, I'm glad he does. It's warm here, too, even in the winter. And there's lots of fresh-kill."

"Yeah," Fireheart agreed. "But it's not the Clans."

"That's why I like it," Ravenpaw pointed out.

_And that's why I'll hate it, _thought Fireheart.

Despite their friendship, Fireheart never had been able to understand Ravenpaw. Whereas Fireheart had always had the desire to live in the woods, to flee the world of Twolegs and join the world of the Clans, Ravenpaw was the exact opposite. Ravenpaw had been born into the world of the Clans, but he had never really belonged, and in fact, he'd yearned to escape it. How would things be different if their roles had been switched? What if Ravenpaw had been the kittypet, and Fireheart had been born into ThunderClan? What if Ravenpaw had been spending idle days at the beck and call of Twolegs, while Fireheart became Tigerstar's apprentice? What if Ravenpaw saw nothing more violent than Smudge attacking a bowl of kittypet food, and Fireheart had witnessed the murder of Redtail at Tigerstar's paws?

But that was the thing about what ifs; you never knew what would have been. All you had was what was.

* * *

><p><strong>Here is my promised rant:<strong>

**I'm using this fic to improve my writing. Not grammar or spelling-wise. That's what English class is for. I mean, I want to improve my characterization, my pacing, my plotting, and so many other things. For example, you'll see in later chapters that I'll start breaking the Clan stereotypes, partly because I hate them so much, and partly because it's going to add a lot more depth and conflict. You'll also have noticed in this chapter that I made Tallstar pretty badass – he has moments of badassery throughout the original series anyway, so not **_**completely **_**OOC – and he's just going to get increasingly badass as the story progresses. But I'm worried about wandering into OOC territory, not only with him, but with Spottedleaf when she shows up. (Even though OOCness with Spottedleaf will probably be an improvement, I need to work on characterization, which means working with what the Erins give me.)**

**And this is where **_**you**_**, the reader (and hopefully reviewer), comes in.**

**I am a terrible judge of my own work. Rarely can I extricate myself enough from my work to figure out what works and what doesn't. I had no idea if my plot is moving along too quickly or too slowly, if the characters are out of whack, if my plot is too easy to see through or too vague, etc. If you see **_**any**_** of these problems in this fic, or any other problems you can think of, SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS. (Or through reviews or PM, since if you shout it from the rooftops, I'm unlikely to hear you due to the headphones that are covering my ears.)**

**I won't get mad, upset, or go drown my sorrows in endless cans of Pepsi. On the contrary, I will hug you and give you virtual cupcakes. Trust me, you will not hurt my feelings. I play basketball. The things I've been told by coaches are way harsher than anything you can think of – and I laugh at those guys. But I improve. :)**

**Of course, you don't have to rip this apart if you don't want to. It's just appreciated. Also cupcakes. :D**

**And because I'm so committed to improvement, I'm going to try to update on a more regular basis. I mean it this time, I really will. Even with school starting next week. (I'm actually better at updating during school because I write rather than do my homework.) My goal?**

**Finish this by the end of the year.**

**Is it crazy?**

**Yes. So am I.**

**. . . I think this author's note was longer than the chapter was. -_- Sorry. DFTBA, everyone!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Coqui's Song: I know, Spottedleaf is a **_**huge**_** Sue. She's also pretty flat. Not too many dimensions. I am very good at giving characters dimensions – I once made Bill Hawks seem almost human, and if you've ever played Professor Layton and The Unwound Future, you would agree that it's a significant accomplishment. But then again, I've never tried this with Spottedleaf, so this is probably not going to end too well. The Ravenpaw/Fireheart switch thing randomly occurred to me in the middle of the chapter, so I wrote that up and was like "... Okay, something good. Now where the hell do I put it?" I felt like it was a random tack-on and was worried it wouldn't go over that well, but clearly it did. :D And I am glad that you picked up on the prophecy... or is it a prophecy? –raises eyebrow–**

**warriorfan: Ah, fast pacing, the bane of my existence. –sigh– Don't feel bad about pointing this out, this is something I've been struggling with for my entire writing career... which is nine years. I have no patience. Let's see if I can slow it down a bit without making people want to kill themselves from boredom.**

**Nightkill: Yeah, most Warriors fics are cliché ideas that have been done before/aren't even allowed according to the site's guidelines. I've never been in the Percy Jackson fandom so I can't say what it's like there, but the Phoenix Wright one is starting to go downhill and it makes me depressed. Luckily, I have another idea that I'll probably write after this one.**

**Azurri: -gives virtual cookie- I can't answer your Scourge question, due to the fact that it would entail spoilers, and I do so hate spoilers. –smiles innocently–**

**Choreographed Chaos: I lovelove**_**love**_** getting into the heads of villains and minor characters, and am always glad when people appreciate those efforts. Thank you. Also, your username is awesome. :)**

**Rainstar of ShadowClan: I agree, I was using the phrase "eyes as round as moons" **_**way**_** too often. (Stupid writing tics. -_-) Thanks for pointing out those typos. :)**

**Sorry for the delay, everyone! My life became super crazy in the past few months, but I'm back to writing now... hopefully. Thank you kindly for your patience.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 5<strong>

After he finished eating, Fireheart tracked Graystripe's scent. When he found his friend, Graystripe was sitting just outside the barn entrance. His tail was curled over his paws, his eyes turned toward the Clans.

"Hey," Fireheart said softly.

"Hey," Graystripe said. His voice was empty. _He_ was empty.

They sat there in silence for the longest time, both thinking, both trying to grapple with the knowledge that they were outcasts, that they would never again meet with the Clans beneath Fourtrees, never gather by the Highrock for a ceremony, never share tongues during lazy afternoons in the camp. A grief more acute than any he had ever felt stabbed Fireheart. What he wouldn't give to go back in time to that raid on his camp and save Bluestar from her fate.

"When I was a kit," Graystripe said, startling Fireheart from his thoughts, "I had so many dreams for the future. I wanted more than anything to become a warrior, a brave fighter, a staunch upholder of the warrior code. I dreamed of becoming leader some day, that I would lead my Clan into great battles and come out victorious. I wanted my name to be spoken with awe by all, no matter their Clan. I wanted a beautiful mate who loved me, and kits who would boast that I was their father. I wanted to watch them become apprentices, and then warriors."

Fireheart turned to him. "Graystripe..."

"I wonder what my kit-self would think if he could see me now," Graystripe continued. "Exiled from the Clan I loved, no longer a warrior, but a traitor. No hopes of ever becoming leader, forever living in infamy as the traitor who took a RiverClan cat as a mate and killed his own leader. A coward who left his kits to die at the paws of a tyrant."

"None of that is true," Fireheart said.

"Yes, it _is_, Fireheart," Graystripe replied. "I left Featherkit and Stormkit behind. Tigerstar's probably killed them by now."

"Sandstorm promised that she would look after them," said Fireheart. "She might return them to RiverClan."

He turned his gaze to Fireheart, his eyes full of grief. "It's not just that. They're all I have left of Silverstream. She _died_ for them, and I left them behind. How could I do that to her, Fireheart?"

Fireheart leaned over and licked his friend's ears. It was a small show of comfort in the face of Graystripe's guilt, but it was all Fireheart could offer him.

"I just wish that I could talk to her again," Graystripe whispered. "Just once more."

Fireheart thought of his own experiences with talking to dead cats and shuddered. The memory of his dream from earlier returned in full force.

"Talking to dead cats is not as great as you would think," Fireheart said without thinking.

Graystripe blinked. "Um, what?"

Fireheart, realizing what he said, tried to backtrack. "That's not what I meant. I meant... I meant..." But nothing occurred to him. "Actually, that was kind of what I meant."

Graystripe edged ever so slightly away from Fireheart. "What are you talking about?"

Fireheart hesitated. "Sometimes, I have dreams."

"What kind of dreams?"

"The kind that involve cats from StarClan," Fireheart said, knowing that Graystripe probably thought he had had a bit too much catnip or something. "Do you remember Spottedleaf? She's in most of them. Normally she tells me something vague, kind of a mini-prophecy, and then it happens in real life. Last night though, I had a dream about Bluestar."

"Bluestar?" Graystripe repeated incredulously.

"Well, it wasn't about Bluestar, but I heard her voice," Fireheart said.

"Did you, like, see her?" asked Graystripe.

Fireheart shook his head. "I couldn't _see_ anything. I was in this small, dark place. I was surrounded by rock, and I couldn't go back the way I had come. I could only go forward. And then Bluestar told me that the dark shouldn't be what scared me. It was the fire that I should be most afraid of."

Graystripe looked at him long and hard for a moment. Then he said, "I know the last couple of days have been rough on you, Fireheart, but this is ridiculous."

Fireheart ignored him. "She wanted me to keep going, but _where_? I wish StarClan cats would stop being so annoyingly vague. They really..."

His voice trailed off as something clicked in his mind. A dark, rocky place. A tunnel. StarClan.

"She wants me to go to Mothermouth," he whispered.

"Fireheart, I think you need to go back in the barn and sleep some more," Graystripe said.

"No. I have to go to Mothermouth, Graystripe. Don't you see? In the dream, I was in the tunnel leading to the Moonstone," Fireheart said, getting to his paws. "I have to go right now."

Graystripe blocked his path, his tail flicking back and forth. "Listen, Fireheart, I think you're just a bit cracked with grief and stress," he said, which seemed rather hypocritical to Fireheart. "If you want to go to Mothermouth so badly, wait for the cover of night. I'll go with you. But you are _not_ leaving this place right now, when Tigerstar might still be searching for us."

Fireheart glared at Graystripe, but he had to concede that his friend had a point. "Okay," he said. "At moonhigh. We'll go at moonhigh."

Graystripe nodded. "Yes. Moonhigh."

Fireheart knew that Graystripe was just humouring him, but it didn't mattered. All that mattered was that he went to Mothermouth to share tongues with StarClan.

Maybe, just maybe, they could help him.

**-X-X-X-**

"Goldenflower, they're half-Clans."

"They're just kits. They've done nothing wrong. They deserve to live every bit as much as Tawnykit and Bramblekit."

"The fact of the matter is that they violate the warrior code, just by existing. I do not want them in my Clan."

"Tigerstar, no matter what you say, I won't let you kill these kits."

Tigerstar clawed the ground in frustration. Goldenflower glared up at him, her tail wrapped protectively around the four kits she was nursing. Only two of the kits were hers and Tigerstar's. Two of them were the traitor's.

"You're nursing the leader's kits alongside half-Clans. What kind of message does this send to ThunderClan?" he asked.

"That you are a compassionate and forgiving leader," Goldenflower said, her eyes narrowing.

Tigerstar glared down at her, his fury building. "You will give me the traitor's kits right now, Goldenflower."

"And which kits would those be?" asked Goldenflower.

Tigerstar blinked, startled. "What did you say?" he said shakily.

Before Goldenflower could say anything, Darkstripe poked his head into the nursery. "Tigerstar, one of our patrols picked up a ShadowClan exile. He's in our camp. He wants to talk to you about something."

Tigerstar turned to his deputy. One of the exiles? "Do you happen to know his name?"

"Blackfoot," Darkstripe replied. "Do you want me to deal with him, or–?"

"No. I should be able to deal with him," Tigerstar said, turning from Goldenflower. He was still shaken by what Goldenflower had said – did she suspect? – and the fact that Blackfoot had arrived in his camp didn't help matters.

"Are you sure?" Darkstripe said. "He _was_ part of the band who raided our camp, Tigerstar."

Tigerstar gave him a cutting look. Darkstripe stopped talking.

"I will speak with you later about the kits," he said to Goldenflower, then pushed past Darkstripe and entered the camp. Night had fallen, and the moon hung high overhead, a mere sliver of light that did not do much to alleviate the darkness. Blackfoot stood in the middle of the camp, surrounded by the patrol who had found him. His amber eyes were fixed unwaveringly on Tigerstar.

"Stand aside," Tigerstar ordered the patrol. "Blackfoot, follow me."

Blackfoot, as if to make a point, turned and walked straight to Tigerstar's den. Tigerstar glared after him.

"Are you sure you don't want a warrior with you?" Darkstripe asked softly.

"I am positive, Darkstripe," he responded. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

Tigerstar caught up with Blackfoot at the entrance to his den. He allowed Blackfoot to enter first, then sat before the lichen curtain, blocking Blackfoot's exit.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed.

Blackfoot's eyes were cold. "I am here as a representative of the band," he said. "We have yet to receive the reward you promised us. We are concerned that you may have, uh, _forgotten_ us."

"I thought that we agreed I would contact _you_," Tigerstar said.

"We were forced to move our camp," Blackfoot said tersely.

"Move?"

Blackfoot nodded. "There were some problems with a group of cats in Twolegplace."

"Kittypets?" Tigerstar asked disdainfully. "You were driven out of your camp by _kittypets_?"

"Not kittypets," Blackfoot corrected him. "A large, powerful group of rogues. But that isn't important. The band is waiting for our reward. You promised you would induct us into ThunderClan. You promised me I would be your deputy. Who fills the post now?"

"Darkstripe," Tigerstar said, "but only temporarily. I have every intention of fulfilling my promises." He didn't, really, but Blackfoot wasn't going to take no for an answer. "I need time to work on ThunderClan. In the meanwhile, I want you and some cats you trust to do something for me."

Blackfoot's tail twitched. "Something else? You seem to be demanding quite a bit from us without paying up."

"Oh, Blackfoot, you are in no position to reject my demands," Tigerstar reminded him. "Do you want to spend the rest of your miserable life scavenging for crowfood in Twolegplace? If not, I suggest you listen carefully."

Blackfoot didn't say another word.

Tigerstar nodded, satisfied. "Two traitors, Fireheart and Graystripe, are on the loose," he said. "We're not sure where they've gone, but I believe they aren't far from Clan territory."

"If you'll excuse me for asking, why exactly are they considered traitors? Blackfoot asked.

"They killed Bluestar."

Blackfoot's lip curled. "Ah," he said.

"I want you to track them down. Especially the kittypet. Do whatever you must do to find them, and then rip out their throats," Tigerstar said. "Do you think you could do that?"

Blackfoot nodded and stood up. "As long as you fulfill your promises, I don't see why not."

With that, Blackfoot brushed past Tigerstar and left the den, swallowed up by the darkness of the night.

**-X-X-X-**

"Are you sure RiverClan will take them?" Goldenflower asked.

Sandstorm nodded as she picked up the dark gray kit by the scruff of his neck. "Positive," she said through a mouthful of fur.

Goldenflower didn't look particularly convinced.

"They'll be fine," Yellowfang said gruffly. "We've made the arrangements to meet with several RiverClan warriors."

"But what about you two? What if you're caught?" Goldenflower asked.

"We'll just tell Tigerstar we were doing what he wished," Yellowfang said. "Getting rid of the kits."

"We should go," Sandstorm said, her voice muffled by the kit's fur.

Yellowfang nodded and grabbed the light gray she-kit.

"Good luck," Goldenflower whispered as they snuck out though the back of the nursery.

Sandstorm and Yellowfang trotted along in silence toward Sunningrocks, carrying the kits by the scruffs of their necks. Sandstorm's began to mewl shortly after they left the camp, as if it sensed that something was wrong.

_StarClan, please make him stop, _she prayed. _Or please let no one hear us._

The kit continued to puncture the silence with its pathetic cries.

_Fireheart, I am smuggling two half-Clan kits out of ThunderClan camp to Sunningrocks where I am going to be handing them over to RiverClan, all against my leader's wishes. I hope you're happy, _she thought, and for the first time since his exile, Sandstorm allowed herself to think about Fireheart.

She hadn't wanted to dwell on the memory of their last encounter, on the things said and unsaid. Ever since, she had been plagued by an underlying sense of doubt, the feeling that she should have gone with him. That she should have left ThunderClan behind and followed Fireheart to wherever he was now. He and Graystripe were probably gone for good, over the mountains to whatever lay beyond.

Sandstorm closed her eyes for a moment. She should have left with him. At the very least, she should have told him her feelings for him... but it was too late now. She had decided to stay with ThunderClan and help her Clanmates in little ways, like smuggling Graystripe's kits out of their camp and telling cats she could trust (like Goldenflower) that Tigerstar had framed both Fireheart and Graystripe.

She glanced up at Silverpelt again. _StarClan, keep him safe, _she thought. _Please._

* * *

><p><strong>Sandstorm POV for the win?<strong>

**The major viewpoint characters here are, obviously, Fireheart and Tigerstar, but occasionally I will do something like this and look at an event through the eyes of a different character.**

**This chapter wasn't very long. I'm sorry about that. The next chapter will probably be much longer, and better too.**


End file.
